How to get water out of a phone speaker
- Wipe the phone dry and remove the case.
- Turn the volume to maximum and switch off silent mode.
- Hold the phone with the speaker grille facing the floor.
- Press Start in Water mode and let all 60 seconds play.
- Dab the grille with a dry cloth. Run it again if droplets are still coming out.
- Let the phone air dry for an hour before charging with a cable.
Why water makes a speaker sound muffled
The speaker sits behind a fine mesh. Water clings to that mesh and fills the small chamber behind it. The cone then has to push against water instead of air, so everything sounds quiet and dull, as if the phone is underwater.
Water resistant phones keep liquid away from the electronics, but they cannot stop it sitting in the open grille. That is why a phone rated IP67 or IP68 still sounds bad after a swim, and why ejecting the water fixes it.
Fresh water, salt water and other liquids
Tap water and rain are the easy cases. Eject, dry, done. Salt water, pool water, soda, coffee and juice leave residue as they dry, which can clog the mesh or corrode contacts.
If the liquid was anything other than clean fresh water, rinse the grille area lightly with a cloth dampened in fresh water, then run the water eject sound and let the phone dry completely. If the speaker stays distorted after a day, have it checked.